Preservation of heritage masonry structures: Assessing compatibility of consolidative treatments on Fired Clay Bricks

Heritage structures are prone to deterioration due to aging and dynamic environmental conditions. Protection by "consolidative treatments" is one of the ways of by which we can extend its life. However, compatibility of a consolidant with the substrate is complicated and depends on the material properties and exposure conditions. Selecting the wrong consolidant can accelerate the deterioration instead of restoration of properties. This study aims to assess the performance and compatibility of acrylic-polymer and silane based consolidants on samples of fired clay bricks of various qualities used in heritage masonry structures. To evaluate the performance of the consolidants, the initial physical, mechanical and microstructural properties of the substrate samples were established through various test methods. These initial properties are then compared to the properties of treated and untreated samples that were subjected to accelerated salt weathering, thus analyzing the weathering resistance.